How much would you say I was asking for this cake?

[Cosmos45]

Just out of curiosity really.. I make cakes as a hobby, they are buttercream decorated rather than fondant and I have made some recently for a few local people (NHS workers and stuff). Someone local asked me if I would make them a cake, I do not know this person but it was someone who knew someone type of scenario.

I sent this message:

"I don't actually have a cake business but I do make cakes for family and friends. I have been asked recently to do a few for people - the ingredients, box and board come to about £9 and I am starting to ask for a small amount (say £10) to cover a bit of my time. I only do swirly icing types ones and I could do you pink swirly one, I will send a picture of the type of thing I mean"

Reading that, how much would you have given me for the cake when you came and picked it up?

BooFuckingHoo2 my kids have just come and spotted your user name, they're having a delightful time chanting it to each other. Given them more entertainment than anything else today, hahaha!!!

I'd say £19 but it should have had the words '£19 total' in there as it could be interpreted as £10 total, or the person could see a 'loophole' and give you £10. People are tight.

OMG OP! The tax man will hunt you down for not declaring your £10 profit! Run! Run away now or throw yourself at the feet and beg for mercy.

Would you eat at a restaurant that hadn't had a hygiene inspection?

Charging illegal pennies for cake undermines all the highly skilled bakers who charge appropriately.

Not sure why you think that's funny

She lost count of the amount of cheeky bastards that asked if she could make them one at cost seeing as she enjoyed baking them anyway!

Oh I’ve had that too, since I love (until recent events) running my doggy daycare. Plus, “but you foster dogs too, so why won’t you look after mine for free? It’s just like fostering” While they go on their tropical holiday. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from saying, “of course I’ll foster your dog while your getting cancer treatment, burying your loved one, I’ll in hospital”. Greedy twats.

Clearly you would not only be asking for £1 to cover your time. Anyone that received this message and tried to give you £10 total is a cheeky fucker.

Ahh see i would have thought £10 too! (You don't pay £9 costs for every cake surely?)

To be honest I think if you are doing it as a hobby then charging a £9 for costs + £10 for your time is too much, (a cake takes about 5 minutes to mix and about 15 minutes to do decent decorations) but having said that if people are paying you that then fair play to you, you must make good cake!

I interpreted it as £19. The wording is very ambiguous though and could be taken as £10 or £9. You needed to put something along the lines of "so that would be £19 total" in there somewhere to clarify.

Not sure why you think that's funny

Because the poor poster just asked for advice re cost and is obviously not a cake seller, normally. All the other cake sellers had to start somewhere too and I guarantee they did not start with the same prices other professional cake makers charged. I’m sure they also don’t get irate when someone new sets up. If they do, then they must be lacking in confidence and customers.

I read it as you wanted £10

£19 but if you're not running a business you shouldn't really charging anyway.

How much did you get op?

£19

^ well, I would prob. have rounded up to £20 unless the cake was terrible.

I’d probably have given you £20 but can see why they might have just given you £10 either because they misunderstood or thought they could get away with it.

10 pounds

You were clearly asking for £19, depending on how it looked I'd have given you £25-£30.

It's not ambiguous if you understand the meaning of 'and' 🙄

I'm assuming the CF, brought £10

It depends on the cake size.

10 pounds

And you shouldn't be charging for your time

I think the wording was a bit ambigouos. When I read it first I thought the charge was £10 altogether. You need to say what the charge is before you start. Even send a text or put it in an email then there is no misunderstanding. Even break it down £9 for ingredients plus £11 for making it so £20 altogether.

Yeah message is unclear

I would have said £10 and then I read other peoples comments, went back and realised you meant £9 AND another £10

Message needs to be clearer

To me it clearly says you're asking for £19, but I'd give £20 just to round it up

£19

I think it is quite clear you are asking for£19 and I would round it up to £20

Desperate to see the cake now. Can we have a pic?

I read it as £19. I think it could be interpreted as £10, but only wilfully by a CF who wanted to get away with the minimum.

Also. To all the grumpy naysayers saying you can't charge, they're talking absolute nonsense. The government introduced a £1,000 tax-free allowance so people could make money from hobby businesses without needing to declare it or pay tax.

As for "you're undermining professional bakers" - what nonsense.

You're charging what you see as a fair price for your time and materials. And you're totally entitled to do that at whatever price you want.

Either you're doing professional grade work and people are getting an absolute bargain. That's your choice and it's fine, and if other equally professional grade bakers charge more and lose business that's their problem.

OR (more likely from what you've said) - you're an amateur offering a more limited and less professional array and charging accordingly. That's fine too and people can go professional if they want a higher standard.

Either way, crack on with your cakes and charge £19 if you want to! Why not. If you make more than £1000 you'll have to declare it, but until then no worries.

£19, but in future I wouldn't be discussing costs for things + time. I'd say £20 total. Leave it at that.